Addressing the challenges of sustainable urban development is both timely and urgent, not just as Habitat III, the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, launched a “New Urban agenda” for the 21^st century with its focus on socially, economically and environmentally sustainable and inclusive cities for all. UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development also emphasises the necessity to plan cities so as to foster community cohesion, personal security and to stimulate innovation and employment making sure that ‘no-one is left behind’ in urban communities.

Answering this global urbanisation challenge NSFC and JPI UE agreed to work towards a long-term cooperation in the area of sustainable urbanisation. Based upon the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) of JPI Urban Europe and the 13^th Five-Year Plan of NSFC the strategic theme of Sustainable urbanisation in the context of economic transitions and climate change was selected.

NSFC and JPI UE enter into cooperative activities with the following aims:

• • Enhance capacities and knowledge on transition towards more sustainable, resilient and liveable urban developments through research cooperation between China and Europe.
  • Reduce the fragmentation in funding of research on urban development in Europe and to build critical history of supporting Sino-European R&I cooperation.

Aligned with the general objectives the Pilot Call paves the way for such a long-term collaboration and thus aims at:

• Increasing the international profile of urban science, and innovation and foster the exploitation of up-to-date, social and economic models and solutions on a global stage.
• Increasing connections between Chinese and European research and innovation communities on urban sustainability.
• Designing and test a framework for cooperation and implementation of joint calls.
• Initiating research and innovation projects to support the development of a long-term roadmap for joint calls and cooperation.

More information on the call topics and framework conditions for consortia will follow soon.